An Evening with the Harlem Wizards

Tonight we had the extraordinary pleasure of taking in a benefit basketball game featuring our own law enforcement officers and the Harlem Wizards. That's right - Wizards. Not the Globetrotters, but another basketball team that focuses on scoring smiles rather than tallying wins.

My expectations weren't very high, I confess. As we headed out the door, Mr. B and I agreed 30 minutes would be enough time to drive, park, get tired of the raucous, raunchy music and drive home again.

Wow, was I off base!

This was a WONDERFULLY family-friendly show with some good basketball, some tricky hoops, great sportsmanship and a great group of special guys. The traveling team must get tired of all these games with folks who think they might have a chance to win, who don't get it. Tired off the kids pawing at their jerseys and screaming for autographs. I mean, on some level, this must be exhausting. But these guys kept their cool, worked hard, were quick with beautiful smiles, and really pleased the crowd. There was a lot of funnin' and trickin' and certainly rule-breakin' going on, but no one pretended to be playing by the rules. No one on either team was bothered by it. And while these guys could have beat the PANTS off the local team, they kept the game close, even cheered their opponents.

The music? It was loud. REALLY loud. The speakers were cranked up so loud the announcer's message was lost in the garble (to E's 8-year-old ears as well as our old folk ears). Too bad. The jokes we caught were light-hearted, funny, and teasing was even-handed. But the music was family friendly. That's right. Songs about basketball, dance songs, good rhythm, get-out-of-your-seat-and-clap music.

I'd do it again tomorrow.

Photo courtesy Harlem Wizards.

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